The report said people with preexisting conditions in states that could accept a waiver under an AHCA provision could see their premiums skyrocket and even be priced out of the insurance market.

Byrd reported that Meadows was "surprised" when he was shown the section and he became "emotional" and "choked back tears" talking about his father's and sister's battles with cancer.

"Listen, I lost my sister to breast cancer," Meadows said, according to Byrd. "I lost my dad to lung cancer. If anybody is sensitive to preexisting conditions, it's me. I'm not going to make a political decision today that affects somebody's sister or father because I wouldn't do it to myself."

The Examiner similarly reported that Meadows became "emotional."

Meadows told reporters he would support changes to the bill in the Senate to properly fund high-risk pools to protect people with preexisting conditions. He said that if the bill did not have "enough funds there to handle preexisting conditions and drive down premiums," then "we will have failed."

The CBO cited an amendment from Rep. Tom MacArthur that would allow states to get the waivers as the primary way the bill would undermine protections for people with preexisting conditions.

The amendment — added after the AHCA was pulled from the House floor before a vote in March, in part because of a lack of support from Meadow's Freedom Caucus — helped win over about 20 members of the Freedom Caucus to support the bill's eventual passage.